Whitecaps' home exciting and long overdue

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VANCOUVER - The actual lockerroom is a bit tight -- cozy a realtor might say -- and a structural concrete beam, painted over in Whitecaps’ white to try to camouflage its presence, runs at a 45-degree angle over a countertop in the players’ lounge.

But, hey, it’s a real home for the Vancouver Whitecaps for the next couple of years. And the best thing is it can’t be towed around Metro Vancouver on wheels. And it doesn’t say ATCO on it.

The MLS club gave the media a sneak peak at its new, though temporary, 4,000-square foot training facility, buried in the basement of the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre at UBC. The players, who arrived home Monday from a pre-season camp in Charleston, S.C., will get their first look today, four days in advance of the regular-season opener against Toronto FC at B.C. Place.

It’s the first stage of the National Soccer Development Centre, a $32.5 million training complex built around existing fields at Thunderbird Park.

Subsequent development calls for renovation of grass pitches, the addition of a new turf field and the building of a 25,000-30,000 square foot field house to be shared by the ‘Caps and UBC.

“Next year, will be 40 years (for the Whitecaps/86ers franchise) and it’s hard to fathom that it’s taken this long (to get a real facility),” said Whitecaps’ president Bob Lenarduzzi. “And this isn’t even our permanent home.

“It’s exciting and it’s long overdue. Over the next two years, we’ll be excited to see the evolution of the permanent facility.”

The franchise has been as homeless as a Gastown panhandler over the decades, bouncing between old Empire Stadium, city parks and school fields, Swangard Stadium and various fields, grass and turf, at Burnaby Lakes.

The new short-term home, situated in a storage area of the arena complex, includes a rectangular-shaped locker area for 30-plus players. Four large TVs hang from the ceiling and will be used for video analysis and to set out daily training plans.

There is office space for coaches and trainers, hot and cold tubs and a half-dozen physio benches, plus a carpeted lounge. The lounge is outfitted with a large cooler, blenders and toasters, tables, couches, work space to plug in lap tops and a big screen TV. There is no gym, but the ‘Caps will use exercise equipment located elsewhere in the arena.

The slogan UNITY. WINNING. HONOUR. Is on a couple of walls, as is the ‘Caps’ mission statement: To be a championship club on and off the soccer pitch.

“Coming in here today, I got a real positive feeling about the fact we’re laying down some roots,” said Lenarduzzi. “We’re doing the kind of things you associate with good clubs. This should have been a staple, it should have been something that we had. But for whatever reason, it’s just taken this long. We now have it and it’s a good base to build on.”

The ‘Caps aspire to be a great club and the lack of permanent training facilities often had to be glossed over whenever management was trying to recruit players.

“The fact we were like gypsies, trying to get a mediocre grass field, is difficult when it comes to recruiting players. You almost want to leave that out of the recruitment process when players ask about the facility you’re training in. The answer we’ve been giving them is ‘it’s coming.’”

UBC has set aside a grass field this season for use once the weather gets better. In the meantime, the club will train on the turf field at Thunderbird Stadium.

Lenarduzzi also said it’s a plus to be part of a “vibrant campus atmosphere.”

He said having a dedicated team facility, especially one the size of the field house targeted to open in 2015, should lead to players wanting to spending all day at the complex.

“Players will feel like ‘this is comfortable’ and it’s going to help them ultimately achieve what we want to do and that’s win as many games as possible.”

Winning games starts Saturday against old rival Toronto FC. Coming off a 6-1-1 pre-season, Lenarduzzi is understandably upbeat about the ‘Caps 2013 prospects.

New midfielders Daigo Kobayashi and Nigel Reo-Coker have already integrated well. And top five draft picks Kekuta Manneh and Erik Hurtado have shown flashes of brilliance and the kind of speed that can expose back lines. Those additions, plus another year of development from Darren Mattocks, last season’s rookie sensation, and a full season from designated player Kenny Miller should lead to a more entertaining offence and a big improvement over the 35 goals the club scored last season.

“One of the things we’d like to do more of is keep possession of the ball, but at the same time, do it in areas where we can hurt the other team,” said Lenarduzzi.

CORNER KICKS: The ‘Caps announced the signing Monday of a third goalkeeper. Victoria native Simon Thomas, 22, is a graduate of the club’s residency program and spent 2011-2012 with Huddersfield Town FC in England . . . Lenarduzzi said there are still “a couple of thousand” tickets available for Saturday’s game.

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Whitecaps' home exciting and long overdue

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